Scientific and Clinical Advisory Council
SafeMinds Scientific & Clinical Advisory Council is comprised of clinicians, health professionals, and scientists from a variety of disciplines, including, among others, specialists and experts in autism, environment, toxicology, pediatrics, neuroscience, pharmacology, and psychology.
José G. Dórea, Ph.D.
Professor of Nutritional Sciences, University of Brasília
A graduate of the University of Pernambuco with advanced degrees from the University of Massachusetts (MSc and PhD), Dr. Dorea has worked at Iowa State University (USA), University of Hawaii (USA), and University of Campinas (Brazil). He has authored numerous book chapters, and has published on infant nutrition and the environmental impact of toxic (natural and man made) substances on the growth and development of children. Dr. Dorea is on the editorial board of peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has authored and co-authored more than 180 papers in journals of public health, medical and environmental sciences, toxicology, and pharmacology.
Cindy Schneider, MD
Medical Director, Center for Autism Research and Education
Dr. Schneider is the Medical Director of CARE, the Center for Autism Research and Education. Her integrative medical practice is exclusively dedicated to individuals with autism and related neurological and immune disorders. Dr. Schneider’s areas of special interest include treatment of the immune, gastrointestinal, and metabolic aspects of autism and the identification of environmental toxins contributing to the autism epidemic. She has designed and implemented multiple research studies, and collaborated with researchers worldwide. Dr. Schneider’s priorities in both her medical practice and her research include the identification of the causes of autism, the formulation of effective treatment protocols, and the prevention of autism in future generations.
Dr. Schneider has served as a member of the Defeat Autism Now! think tank since 1997, and serves on the Clinician Advisory Committee at the Autism Research Institute. She was the founding president and medical director of two nonprofit organizations for autism research, and is a medical advisor for SafeMinds. Dr. Schneider has published extensively in the areas of genetic vulnerability to environmental toxins, and innovative treatments for the gastrointestinal and immune complications of autism.
As the mother of two children with autism and a leading authority in the field, Dr. Schneider closely tracks developments in autism research, and provides both a medical and personal assessment of current and promising treatment options.
Robert Sears, M.D.
Robert W. Sears, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician in a full-time private practice in Dana Point, Calif. He received his medical degree from Georgetown University, and did his pediatric residency training at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Dr. Bob,” as he likes to be called by his little patients, provides a unique blend of mainstream and integrative medical care. He is a co-author in the Sears Parenting Library, including The Baby Book and The Portable Pediatrician, and is the author of The Vaccine Book, The Autism Book, and HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months. Dr. Bob has appeared on Dr. Oz, The Doctors, CNN, CBS Early Show, Fox Morning News, and Dr. Phil discussg parenting advice and pediatric health issues. He is a frequent speaker at parenting conferences, and serves on the medical advisory board for various organizations, including Talk About Curing Autism, Autism Care and Treatment Today, HappyBaby Organic Baby Food, and Kaplan University Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Bob is a contributor to AskDrSears.com, and regularly answers questions on his Mothering.com Ask the Experts forum.
Adults with Autism Explain Sources of Childhood Trauma
Individuals on the Spectrum Experience Trauma Differently than the Neurotypical It makes sense that individuals with autism encounter and experience childhood trauma differently than those not on the spectrum. However, little research has been conducted that demonstrates how this trauma differs for people with autism. A study published last month examined this compelling topic. A […]
Toddler Boys Exposed to Screens for At Least 2 Hours a Day Are More Likely to be Diagnosed with ASD at Age 3
However, Critics Find Fault with Study’s Design Japanese researchers recently conducted a study which concluded that toddler boys who are exposed to screens for at least two hours a day are three and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with autism by age three. This study’s design involved recruiting 84,000 pregnant women from […]
Alterations in Cell Environment Can Trigger Autism in the Genetically Susceptible
Study Provides More Evidence that Genes, Environment and Inflammation Are Tied to ASD A breakthrough study developed from a team of researchers out of the University of Geneva (UNIGE), has demonstrated how a change in cell environment can trigger the development of autistic symptoms in mice with a genetic vulnerability. According to a News Medical […]
FDA Breakthrough Device Designation Given to Product Using Hair to Diagnose ASD
StrandDx Analyzes the Levels of Chemicals in a Strand of Hair Decades into America’s surge of autism cases, diagnosing the neurodevelopmental disorder still relies on behavioral observations made by an experienced professional. This diagnostic process can take several months to complete. Currently, the average age of autism diagnosis is approximately 4 years old. However, that […]
Improving Medical Care for Those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Patients with IDD Often Avoid Check Ups and Preventative Care SafeMinds Shares recently featured a brief Community Shares report on a new study which demonstrated that doctors know very little about the Americans with Disabilities Act and the accommodations they should be providing their patients with disabilities under the law. Fortunately, this issue is gathering […]
The Relationship Between Substance Use Disorder and Autism
1 in 5 Young Adults Treated for Addiction May Have Undiagnosed Traits of ASD A recent paper published in The American Journal of Addictions is the first to examine the prevalence of previously undiagnosed traits of autism among teens and young adults with substance use disorders. The study’s results showed that among participants (average age […]
